Book reviews on current literacy, education, and child development books and research.
Current Read-
Nurture Shock: New Thinking About Children, Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman.
"The Freakonomics of child rearing... a fantastic read... a wake-up call for parents." Good Morning America
Contents: One of the most influential books about children ever published, Nurture Shock offers a revolutionary new perspective on children that upends a library's worth of conventional wisdom. With impeccable storytelling and razor-sharp analysis, the authors demonstrate that many of modern society's strategies for nurturing children are in fact backfiring--because key twists in the science have been overlooked. Nothing like a parenting manual, NurtureShock gets to the core of how we grow, learn and live.
Released in hardcover in September 2009, Nurture Shock remained on the New York Times best seller list for three months, and was one of Amazon's best selling books for 2009. The book has become a worldwide phenomenon with editions published around the world - in fifteen languages, to date.
In addition to Bronson and Merryman's writings on praise -- first made famous in New York magazine -- there are nine more equally groundbreaking chapters. Among the topics covered:
Why the most brutal person in a child's life is often a sibling, and how a single aspect of their preschool-aged play can determine their relationship as adults.
When is it too soon - or too late - to teach a child about race? Children in diverse schools are less likely to have a cross-racial friendship, not more - so is school diversity backfiring?
Millions of families are fighting to get their kids into private schools and advanced programs as early as possible. But schools are missing the best kids, 73% of the time - the new neuroscience explains why.
Why are kids - even those from the best of homes - still aggressive and cruel? The answer is found in a rethinking of parental conflict, discipline, television's unexpected influence, and social dominance.
Parents are desperate to jump-start infants' language skills. Recently, scientists have discovered a series of natural techniques that are astonishing in their efficacy - it's not baby videos, sign language, or even the richness of language exposure. It's nothing you've heard before.
-Amazon.com
At A Loss For Words: How America Is Failing Our Children and What We Can Do About It, Betty Bardige, 2005.
Contents: Drawing on the latest research about toddlers and preschoolers, At a Loss for Words lays out the importance of getting parents, policy makers, and child care providers to recognize the role of early literacy skills in reducing the achievement gap that begins before three years of age. Readers are guided through home and classroom settings that promote language, contrasting them with the "merely mediocre" settings in which more and more young children spend increasing amounts of time. Language skills are the key to school and life success, and acquiring them requires a level of input and practice that too many of our young children are not getting. Drawing upon an extensive body of research, the book demonstrates how we can build the community supports and public systems that our children need so that toddlers learn the power of language and how parents and teachers can support it.
-Amazon.com
Review: "[A] complete and compelling assessment of the critical importance of very early childhood learning. Parents will find At a Loss for Words a helpful guide filled with practical tips for enjoyable ways to improve home education in language skills for their young children." Wellesley Magazine Bardige has written an effective blend of introductory text and instructional manual for parents, educators, advocates, and anyone else who might care about the crucial role of language in early childhood development...Highly recommended." Library Journal "The writing style is beautiful. It flows so well and is very easy to read. I don't generally like reading books about policy so this is a high tribute on my part. She weaves the examples in beautifully. They are very realistic, especially the dialogues of children, and make the book come to life. I found myself feeling genuine dismay and sadness for some of the children described in the book which could motivate some readers to action. I also like the hopeful, optimistic conclusion. A nice change from the whining tone of most early childhood policy books." Sue Bredekamp
Why Johnny Can't Read and What You Can Do About It, Rudolph Flesch, original publication 1955.
Author: "Dear Mary: I have decided to start this book with a letter to you. You know that the idea came to me when I offered to help Johnny with his reading. It's really his book-or yours. So the only proper way to start it is with the words "Dear Mary." You remember when I began to work with Johnny half a year ago? That was wehn he was twelve and they put him back into sixth grade because he was unable to read and couldn't possibly keep up with the work in junior high. So I told you that I knew of a way to teach reading that was altogether different from what they do in schools or in remedial reading courses or anywhere else. Well, you trusted me, and you konw what has happened since. Today Johnny can read-not perfectly, to be sure, but anyone can see that in a few more months he will have caught up with other boys of his age. And he is happy again: You and I and everyone else can see that he is a changed person. I think Johnny will go to college. He has a very good mind, as you know, and I don't see why he shouldn't become a doctor or a lawyer or an engineer. There is a lot in Johnny that has never come to the surface because of this reading trouble."
Review: The classic book on phonics--the method of teaching recommended by the U.S. Department of Education. Contains complete materials and instructions on teaching children to read at home.
-Amazon.com
By Different Paths To Common Outcomes, Marie M. Clay, 1998.
Author: "I am interested in having schools be ready for the differences that their school entrants will display across the entire range of competencies. If we notice children taking different paths we can interact with their different journeys just as we would alter our talking to adapt to our listeners and in a couple of years expect them to arrive at common outcomes."
Marie M.Clay
Review: Well-known for her work with early literacy intervention, Marie M. Clay has authored these essays to focus on the development of literacy awareness, the power of writing in early literacy encounters, and the use of conversation as a tool for improving teaching. Librarians will be interested, for example, in her advice about introducing storybooks to young children in ways that encourage them to become independent readers. By providing "practical examples" and well-researched, reasoned discussion," this volume can serve as the basis for teacher-librarian study-group discussions on early literacy. -- Knowledge Quest, Volume 27/Number 4, March/April 1999
How She Thinks. How He Feels. How They Can Succeed, The Secret Life of the Dyslexic Child, Dr. Robert Frank & Kathryn E. Livingston, 2004.
Contents: Frank, an educational psychologist who is himself dyslexic, has written an excellent guide, with the assistance of freelance writer Livingston, that will be of great help to parents of dyslexic children. MRI technology has revealed that this neurological disorder affects a part of the brain "that links the visual cortex and visual association area to the language areas." The authors explain that although dyslexics manifest their disability differently, depending on the severity of the condition, most dyslexic children have trouble with reading, writing, spelling and math in addition to understanding directions. Frank's own experience (he was not diagnosed until he was a graduate student) demonstrates that despite the lack of professional attention to his condition, the parental love and support he received encouraged him to transcend his problems with processing language. He provides here a number of strategies, such as language exercises for non-dyslexics, that will help parents to understand and identify with how their child sees the world. Building self-esteem is the key to helping a dyslexic child overcome overwhelming feelings of anxiety and frustration that may occur when he or she struggles with schoolwork. According to Frank, positive feedback from family and friends is crucial to building self-esteem in a dyslexic child. Included in this very helpful, accessibly written guide are many practical suggestions for working with your child's teacher to create a positive goal-oriented learning environment both at school and at home.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Reviews: "A clear, comprehensive guide that will help parents handle not only the practical challenges of raising a child with dyslexia, but also the complex emotions that can often stand in the way of successful learning." --Sally Lee, editor-in-chief, Parents magazine
"An invaluable, compassionate, yet realistic guidebook to the foreign land that is dyslexia. . . After reading this book, you feel ready to let go of stereotypes and embrace solutions." --Kyle D. Pruett, M.D., clinical professor at Yale Child Study Center and Medical School
A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future, Daniel H. Pink, 2006
Review: With visionary flare, Pink argues that business and everyday life will soon be dominated by right-brain thinkers. He identifies the roots and implications of transitioning from a society dominated by left-brain thinkers into something entirely different—although at times, he seems to be exhorting rather than observing the trend. As a narrator, Pink delivers in a well executed manner, with occasional hints of enthusiasm. He maintains a steady voice that is well suited for a business-oriented text, and his crisp pronunciation and consistent pace keeps listeners engaged and at ease. Updated with new material. A Riverhead paperback.
Amazon.com
Contents:"Abundance, Asia, and automation." Try saying that phrase five times quickly, because if you don't take these words into serious consideration, there is a good chance that sooner or later your career will suffer because of one of those forces. Pink, best-selling author of Free Agent Nation (2001) and also former chief speechwriter for former vice-president Al Gore, has crafted a profound read packed with an abundance of references to books, seminars, Web sites, and such to guide your adjustment to expanding your right brain if you plan to survive and prosper in the Western world. According to Pink, the keys to success are in developing and cultivating six senses: design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning. Pink compares this upcoming "Conceptual Age" to past periods of intense change, such as the Industrial Revolution and the Renaissance, as a way of emphasizing its importance. Ed Dwyer
Book reviews on current literacy, education, and child development books and research.
Current Read-
Nurture Shock: New Thinking About Children, Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman.
"The Freakonomics of child rearing... a fantastic read... a wake-up call for parents."Good Morning America
Contents: One of the most influential books about children ever published, Nurture Shock offers a revolutionary new perspective on children that upends a library's worth of conventional wisdom. With impeccable storytelling and razor-sharp analysis, the authors demonstrate that many of modern society's strategies for nurturing children are in fact backfiring--because key twists in the science have been overlooked. Nothing like a parenting manual, NurtureShock gets to the core of how we grow, learn and live.Released in hardcover in September 2009, Nurture Shock remained on the New York Times best seller list for three months, and was one of Amazon's best selling books for 2009. The book has become a worldwide phenomenon with editions published around the world - in fifteen languages, to date.
In addition to Bronson and Merryman's writings on praise -- first made famous in New York magazine -- there are nine more equally groundbreaking chapters. Among the topics covered:
Why the most brutal person in a child's life is often a sibling, and how a single aspect of their preschool-aged play can determine their relationship as adults.
When is it too soon - or too late - to teach a child about race? Children in diverse schools are less likely to have a cross-racial friendship, not more - so is school diversity backfiring?
Millions of families are fighting to get their kids into private schools and advanced programs as early as possible. But schools are missing the best kids, 73% of the time - the new neuroscience explains why.
Why are kids - even those from the best of homes - still aggressive and cruel? The answer is found in a rethinking of parental conflict, discipline, television's unexpected influence, and social dominance.
Parents are desperate to jump-start infants' language skills. Recently, scientists have discovered a series of natural techniques that are astonishing in their efficacy - it's not baby videos, sign language, or even the richness of language exposure. It's nothing you've heard before.
-Amazon.com
At A Loss For Words: How America Is Failing Our Children and What We Can Do About It, Betty Bardige, 2005.
Contents: Drawing on the latest research about toddlers and preschoolers, At a Loss for Words lays out the importance of getting parents, policy makers, and child care providers to recognize the role of early literacy skills in reducing the achievement gap that begins before three years of age. Readers are guided through home and classroom settings that promote language, contrasting them with the "merely mediocre" settings in which more and more young children spend increasing amounts of time. Language skills are the key to school and life success, and acquiring them requires a level of input and practice that too many of our young children are not getting. Drawing upon an extensive body of research, the book demonstrates how we can build the community supports and public systems that our children need so that toddlers learn the power of language and how parents and teachers can support it.
-Amazon.com
Review: "[A] complete and compelling assessment of the critical importance of very early childhood learning. Parents will find At a Loss for Words a helpful guide filled with practical tips for enjoyable ways to improve home education in language skills for their young children." Wellesley Magazine Bardige has written an effective blend of introductory text and instructional manual for parents, educators, advocates, and anyone else who might care about the crucial role of language in early childhood development...Highly recommended." Library Journal "The writing style is beautiful. It flows so well and is very easy to read. I don't generally like reading books about policy so this is a high tribute on my part. She weaves the examples in beautifully. They are very realistic, especially the dialogues of children, and make the book come to life. I found myself feeling genuine dismay and sadness for some of the children described in the book which could motivate some readers to action. I also like the hopeful, optimistic conclusion. A nice change from the whining tone of most early childhood policy books." Sue Bredekamp
Why Johnny Can't Read and What You Can Do About It, Rudolph Flesch, original publication 1955.
Author: "Dear Mary: I have decided to start this book with a letter to you. You know that the idea came to me when I offered to help Johnny with his reading. It's really his book-or yours. So the only proper way to start it is with the words "Dear Mary." You remember when I began to work with Johnny half a year ago? That was wehn he was twelve and they put him back into sixth grade because he was unable to read and couldn't possibly keep up with the work in junior high. So I told you that I knew of a way to teach reading that was altogether different from what they do in schools or in remedial reading courses or anywhere else. Well, you trusted me, and you konw what has happened since. Today Johnny can read-not perfectly, to be sure, but anyone can see that in a few more months he will have caught up with other boys of his age. And he is happy again: You and I and everyone else can see that he is a changed person. I think Johnny will go to college. He has a very good mind, as you know, and I don't see why he shouldn't become a doctor or a lawyer or an engineer. There is a lot in Johnny that has never come to the surface because of this reading trouble."
Review: The classic book on phonics--the method of teaching recommended by the U.S. Department of Education. Contains complete materials and instructions on teaching children to read at home.
-Amazon.com
By Different Paths To Common Outcomes, Marie M. Clay, 1998.
Author: "I am interested in having schools be ready for the differences that their school entrants will display across the entire range of competencies. If we notice children taking different paths we can interact with their different journeys just as we would alter our talking to adapt to our listeners and in a couple of years expect them to arrive at common outcomes."
Marie M.Clay
Review: Well-known for her work with early literacy intervention, Marie M. Clay has authored these essays to focus on the development of literacy awareness, the power of writing in early literacy encounters, and the use of conversation as a tool for improving teaching. Librarians will be interested, for example, in her advice about introducing storybooks to young children in ways that encourage them to become independent readers. By providing "practical examples" and well-researched, reasoned discussion," this volume can serve as the basis for teacher-librarian study-group discussions on early literacy. -- Knowledge Quest, Volume 27/Number 4, March/April 1999
How She Thinks. How He Feels. How They Can Succeed, The Secret Life of the Dyslexic Child, Dr. Robert Frank & Kathryn E. Livingston, 2004.
Contents: Frank, an educational psychologist who is himself dyslexic, has written an excellent guide, with the assistance of freelance writer Livingston, that will be of great help to parents of dyslexic children. MRI technology has revealed that this neurological disorder affects a part of the brain "that links the visual cortex and visual association area to the language areas." The authors explain that although dyslexics manifest their disability differently, depending on the severity of the condition, most dyslexic children have trouble with reading, writing, spelling and math in addition to understanding directions. Frank's own experience (he was not diagnosed until he was a graduate student) demonstrates that despite the lack of professional attention to his condition, the parental love and support he received encouraged him to transcend his problems with processing language. He provides here a number of strategies, such as language exercises for non-dyslexics, that will help parents to understand and identify with how their child sees the world. Building self-esteem is the key to helping a dyslexic child overcome overwhelming feelings of anxiety and frustration that may occur when he or she struggles with schoolwork. According to Frank, positive feedback from family and friends is crucial to building self-esteem in a dyslexic child. Included in this very helpful, accessibly written guide are many practical suggestions for working with your child's teacher to create a positive goal-oriented learning environment both at school and at home.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Reviews: "A clear, comprehensive guide that will help parents handle not only the practical challenges of raising a child with dyslexia, but also the complex emotions that can often stand in the way of successful learning." --Sally Lee, editor-in-chief, Parents magazine
"An invaluable, compassionate, yet realistic guidebook to the foreign land that is dyslexia. . . After reading this book, you feel ready to let go of stereotypes and embrace solutions." --Kyle D. Pruett, M.D., clinical professor at Yale Child Study Center and Medical School
A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future, Daniel H. Pink, 2006
Review: With visionary flare, Pink argues that business and everyday life will soon be dominated by right-brain thinkers. He identifies the roots and implications of transitioning from a society dominated by left-brain thinkers into something entirely different—although at times, he seems to be exhorting rather than observing the trend. As a narrator, Pink delivers in a well executed manner, with occasional hints of enthusiasm. He maintains a steady voice that is well suited for a business-oriented text, and his crisp pronunciation and consistent pace keeps listeners engaged and at ease. Updated with new material. A Riverhead paperback.
Amazon.com
Contents:"Abundance, Asia, and automation." Try saying that phrase five times quickly, because if you don't take these words into serious consideration, there is a good chance that sooner or later your career will suffer because of one of those forces. Pink, best-selling author of Free Agent Nation (2001) and also former chief speechwriter for former vice-president Al Gore, has crafted a profound read packed with an abundance of references to books, seminars, Web sites, and such to guide your adjustment to expanding your right brain if you plan to survive and prosper in the Western world. According to Pink, the keys to success are in developing and cultivating six senses: design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning. Pink compares this upcoming "Conceptual Age" to past periods of intense change, such as the Industrial Revolution and the Renaissance, as a way of emphasizing its importance. Ed Dwyer